News & Insight

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has delivered his first Budget speech this week, with a focus on the cost of living and ways to help people get back into employment. ...

Soaring house prices mean growing numbers of first time buyers face a tax bill when they buy. ...

If you and your partner have been living together, there may come a point where you want to put your partners name onto the mortgage alongside yours...

The stamp duty holiday has been extended until the end of June, benefiting thousands of homeowners who were at risk of missing the original deadline of 31st March. ...

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Until recently there has only been a very limited range of mortgage products available for first time buyers with smaller deposits, but there are now signs of improvement....

Homebuyers throughout the UK will now benefit from lower stamp duty costs, with Scottish and Welsh governments both confirming temporary tax cuts. ...

On 8th July Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced a major tax cut for home buyers, with a temporary waiver of Stamp Duty Land Tax for all properties valued up to £500,000. ...

There are lots of reasons why now is a great time for first time buyers looking for a mortgage, including Stamp Duty exemption, low interest rates and Government schemes....

With the general election confirmed for the 12th December, the weekend’s financial press highlighted the potential policy pledges and the impact they might have on our economy. ...

The number of landlords buying properties to rent out is on the up, according to latest data from trade body UK Finance. ...

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May saw a sharp increase in the number of people remortgaging and borrowing extra funds, suggesting that many are choosing to improve their homes rather than move. ...

Buy-to-let landlords are benefiting from cheaper mortgage rates and a wider choice of deals as lenders compete for their business. ...

The average price of a flat in England has fallen by 2.1% over the year to an average of £220,146, according to the UK House Price Index for April, whereas all other types of property have increased in value. ...

Steep stamp duty costs are encouraging homeowners to improve rather than move, potentially reducing the number of smaller homes available to first-time buyers, a House of Lords report warns. ...

Non-UK residents buying homes in England and Northern Ireland could soon face steeper stamp duty costs, under proposals being considered by the government. ...

There are just a few weeks to go before the new 2019-20 tax year begins on 6th April, when landlords will see further reductions in the amount of tax relief they can claim. ...

The 2018 Autumn Budget included a range of measures focused on the housing market. Here’s our rundown of the changes. ...

The Chancellor Philip Hammond will unveil his Autumn Budget on October 29th, with many speculating that he could announce a range of measures affecting the property market. ...

The Financial Times reported this weekend on the increase in the number of Retirement Interest Only (RIO) mortgages coming onto the market, as lender confidence in this type of product grows. ...

Despite changes to stamp duty designed to help those struggling to get onto the property ladder, more than 2m first-time buyers aren’t sure whether they will benefit from the new rules. ...

This weekend's Financial Times highlighted the main findings of our First time Buyer stamp duty research, namely: 18% of FTB are calibrating their purchases to take advantage of tax relief by buying beneath the exemption threshold. ...

According to new L&C research, if house prices continue to rise at the rate they have in recent years, the proportion of properties which qualify for this exemption will fall dramatically by 2028....

The Observer reported this weekend on the falling number of young home-owning families, as many of today’s millennials struggle in the face of higher property prices. ...

The stamp duty exemption for first-time buyers announced in the budget has benefited over 16,000 homebuyers in the first six weeks since it came into effect, according to the government. ...

Many people put sorting out their finances at the top of their list of New Year financial resolutions, and reviewing your mortgage can be a great place to start. ...

In the November 2017 Budget, Chancellor Philip Hammond announced an immediate reduction in Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) that will benefit the vast majority of first time buyers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and mean 80% of first timers will pay no stamp duty at all. ...

Tomorrow’s Autumn Budget sees growing speculation that the Chancellor could announce measures to help first-time buyers, as well as plans to build more houses. ...

The main theme of the weekends press was unsurprisingly speculation on Wednesdays Budget.  Will Philip Hammond help the UK housing market? ...

The Times looked at home ownership this weekend, following recent research by L&C which revealed that around 1.8 million adults have stayed in a relationship in order to get on to the housing ladder. ...

There have been so many changes to the property market within the last few years, that for first time buyers coming into the market right now, it’s like a whirlwind. Knowing the right places to look; the appropriate checks to ensure you do; and the changes in mortgage rates and house prices; it’s almost like you need a degree to understand everything involved in the process of buying a house.So here’s a quick guide to the most important things yo...